Ismaël Bako
![]() Bako with Leuven in 2017 | |
No. 21 – BC UNICS | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | VTB United League |
Personal information | |
Born | Leuven, Belgium | 10 October 1995
Nationality | Belgian |
Listed height | 208 cm (6 ft 10 in) |
Listed weight | 103 kg (227 lb) |
Career information | |
NBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
Playing career | 2012–present |
Career history | |
2012–2017 | Leuven Bears |
2017–2019 | Antwerp Giants |
2019–2021 | ASVEL Villeurbanne |
2021–2022 | Manresa |
2022–2023 | Virtus Bologna |
2023–present | UNICS Kazan |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Ismaël Bako (born 10 October 1995) is a Belgian professional basketball player for UNICS Kazan of the Russian VTB United League. Standing at 208 cm (6 ft 10 in), he plays at the center position. He started his career in 2012 with Leuven Bears and transferred to Antwerp Giants in April 2017.
Professional career
[edit]Leuven
[edit]Bako started his career with Leuven Bears in the Pro Basketball League, making his debut in 2012. He was named the BLB Young Player of the Year of the 2016–17 season, after averaging 8.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.[1]
Antwerp
[edit]In April 2017, he signed with Antwerp Giants.[2] In the 2018–19 season, Bako won the Belgian Basketball Cup with the Giants. He was named the Belgian Cup Most Valuable Player.[3] In the same season, the team reached the Final Four of the Basketball Champions League. Antwerp finished in third place after defeating Brose Bamberg in the third place game. Bako was named to the Basketball Champions League Star Lineup.
ASVEL
[edit]On 3 July 2019, Bako signed a two-year contract with LDLC ASVEL of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague.[4] He averaged 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. On June 12, 2020, he re-signed with the team for an additional season.[5] During the 2020-21 season Bako averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He parted ways with the team on 11 July 2021.[6]
Baxi Manresa
[edit]On July 24, 2021, Bako signed a two-year deal with Baxi Manresa of the Spanish Liga ACB.[7] On September 5, 2021, won the Catalan League and won the MVP of the competition.
Virtus Bologna
[edit]On July 13, 2022, Bako signed with Virtus Bologna of the Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague.[8] On 29 September 2022, after having ousted Olimpia Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its third Supercup, defeating 72–69 Banco di Sardegna Sassari and achieving a back-to-back, following the 2021 trophy.[9] However, despite good premises Virtus ended the EuroLeague season at the 14th place, thus it did not qualify for the playoffs.[10] Moreover, the team was defeated in the Italian Basketball Cup final by Brescia. In June, after having ousted 3–0 both Brindisi and Tortona, Virtus was defeated 4–3 by Olimpia Milan in the national finals, following a series which was widely regarded among the best in the latest years of Italian basketball.[11][12] On August 25, 2023, Bako parted ways with the Italian powerhouse.
National team career
[edit]Bako has been a member of the Belgian national basketball team since 2016. At 21, Bako was the youngest member of the squad that played at EuroBasket 2017.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
Bold | Career high |
EuroLeague
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | ASVEL | 24 | 2 | 11.0 | .508 | — | .818 | 2.1 | .3 | .3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 |
2020–21 | 27 | 3 | 14.4 | .600 | — | .878 | 3.6 | .4 | .5 | .8 | 5.6 | 7.4 | |
2022–23 | Bologna | 34 | 0 | 15.5 | .670 | — | .877 | 2.6 | .4 | .5 | .6 | 6.1 | 6.9 |
Career | 85 | 5 | 13.9 | .606 | — | .865 | 2.8 | .4 | .5 | .8 | 5.3 | 6.5 |
Personal life
[edit]Bako was born in Belgium to a Beninese father and Belgian mother.[14]
Awards and accomplishments
[edit]Club
[edit]- Manresa
- Lliga Catalana de Bàsquet: (2021)
- ASVEL
- LNB Pro A: (2021)
- French Cup: (2021)
- Antwerp Giants
- Belgian Cup: (2019)
Individual
[edit]- Lliga Catalana de Bàsquet Final MVP: (2021)
- All-Champions League First Team: (2019)
- Belgian Cup MVP: (2019)
- Belgian League Young Player of the Year (2017)
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ "Ismaël Bako Young Player of the Year". Euromillionsbasketball.be. 2017-05-15. Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
- ^ "Ismaël Bako naar Port of Antwerp Giants". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ Vanbuggenhout, Kevin. "Fysieke kracht geeft doorslag: Giants doorbreken hegemonie en pronken met beker". www.msn.com (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ "ASVEL acquires Ismael Bako". Eurohoops. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- ^ "LDLC Asvel extends Ismael Bako". Sportando. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ "Norris Cole, Ismael Bako officially leaves Asvel". Sportando. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
- ^ "Ismael Bako officially signs with Baxi Manresa". Sportando. July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ "Ismaël Bako è un nuovo giocatore di Virtus Segafredo Bologna!" (in Italian). 2022-07-13. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
- ^ "Supercoppa, trionfa la Virtus Bologna! Canestro decisivo di Mickey, Sassari cede 72-69". Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 29 September 2022.
- ^ Virtus, il punto a fine EuroLega. BolognaBasket
- ^ Basket, Milano batte Bologna nella decisiva gara 7 e vince il suo 30esimo scudetto. Gli highlights. la Repubblica
- ^ Basket, Milano batte Bologna 67-55 nella finalissima e si conferma campione per la trentesima volta. Rai News
- ^ "Dit zijn onze 12 Lions voor Eurobasket 2017 - detail - Basketbal Vlaanderen". basketbal.vlaanderen (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ "En vacances dans son pays d'origine Ismaël Bako partage avec les médias ses projets pour le Bénin". quotidien le matin.
External links
[edit]- Ismael Bako at thisisbasketball.be
- 1995 births
- Antwerp Giants players
- ASVEL Basket players
- Bàsquet Manresa players
- BC UNICS players
- Belgian expatriate basketball people in France
- Belgian expatriate basketball people in Italy
- Belgian expatriate basketball people in Russia
- Belgian expatriate basketball people in Spain
- Belgian men's basketball players
- Belgium national basketball players
- Belgian people of Beninese descent
- Centers (basketball)
- Leuven Bears players
- Liga ACB players
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Leuven
- Virtus Bologna players